You might be surprised, based on some of the comments here.
I’m not arguing for their implementation.
1 Like
Ah, the eternal divided viewpoint between those who maintain/design computers and those who just use them to do things.
I do both but am continually amazed by large well-known applications that don’t install with a configuration defaulting to automatic backups. Since the mantra “Save early and often” was created in response to just this situation doesn’t it seem like it would be a given that the application address it automatically?
As for the “active hours” setting, Most of the time I could set it for the middle of the night but then it bites me in the ass when I actually have to work in the middle of the night.
1 Like
That’s true enough. There;s actually an easier way to get there that I didn’t mention previously as it involves some brain surgery on Windows. You can permanently stop Windows reboots after updates.
Right click on the start menu and open the control panel. Go to System and Security/Administrative tools and open the task scheduler.
In task scheduler, open the following folder: Task Scheduler Library\Microsoft\Windows\UpdateOrchestrator. There you will see a task called Reboot. Right click on it and disable it.
It is possible a subsequent Windows update will reenable this task. That happened to me. If so, you can prevent this from happening by opening the following folder in File Explorer:
C:\Windows\System32\Tasks\Microsoft\Windows\UpdateOrchestrator
There you will find a file called Reboot. Rename it to something like reboot.bak. Then create an empty folder named Reboot. This will prevent Windows from recreating the task.
There is also a small app called ShutdownGuard that will accomplish the same thing. But it is yet another thing in the system tray and you have to remember to toggle it off and on.
2 Likes
[quote=“enso, post:41, topic:93870”]It isn’t hard to install. To actually use, day to day, for most folks…
Linux is great if you want to use Linux apps available (and only those) or compile your own kernel.[/quote]
Gave Ubuntu to my Dad when he was over 75 years old and suffering from Parkinsons’ and myesthenia gravis. He was fine for years, until the Parkie’s and the MG treatments robbed him of his vision and motor control.
Here’s the thing: most people only need to use a web browser and a media player. They can get email through the web browser. (And honestly they can buy a cheap DVD or Blu-ray set for their media, but I digress). A few people need to be able to download and print .PDFs because their local post office doesn’t stock tax forms, these people may also need LibreOffice or the like.
The words “most” and “need” are important in the above paragraph. Some people want other things; you have to understand the user before deciding whether they are competent to use linux.
2 Likes
I switched my Mom to Ubuntu over a year ago as she was constantly having issues with malware. She has rebooted that computer three times since then and has yet to ask for computer help.
Like @Medievalist said. Most people just need a browser and a media player. All else is easily found in the cloud.
1 Like
Yeah, Microsoft, yer pissing me off. My computer is not what I PAID FOR: customer experience.
If One Drive interrupts my computer experience one more time to tell me it’s there and working, I might throw this expensive deck out the adjacent window with malice…
Microsoft: customer experience keeps billions; clown-car-asshattery loses everything…
You own the software, so please remember why you made it in the first place.
My corporate-owned desktop is haunted by Cortana marketing AKA “action center”.
Today it says “Use my memory to make yours better. Ask me to remind you at a certain time.”
How about I remind you to die in a fire, Cortana?
Oh, and now it says “Feedback hub: How likely are you to recommend this device to a friend or colleague?”
1 Like
Can you turn it off? Well mostly off? I know Boeing sure as hell did for the corporate testing image i had for a while.
3 Likes
The desktop support guys who issued me this box claim they did that, but it turned itself back on. They are working on a GPO to turn it off at every network login, I think. I’m honestly not tracking it as well as I should be, since it mostly lives in a small box in the corner of one of my monitors. Mostly.
2 Likes
https://www.askwoody.com/2016/does-killing-cortana-really-kill-cortana/
I think it’s still inconclusive unless you go nuclear on that piece of baked in spyware, you used to be able to simply turn it off of course before microsoft removed that ability. But of course the next version update from will re-enable it
Well I have always had it all turned off well voice recognition/location/advertising and it has yet to turn on again.
The thing is it is also the engine that does all the predictive typing and local search for things like the start menu.
Just double checked and yep still all turned off except for local search despite all the updates.
Have you updated to v1607, the anniversary update? If so did it retain all your preferences because all i keep reading is the myriad problems like the hosing of preferences, raid, wi-fi… you name it.
Yep the start menu changes threw me for a bit but in general are an improvement. And every middle of the day update has always given me a dialog box that waits for a reboot now/later choice so far also it asks for a reboot on par with the number of times my Mint box asks for one so meh. Then again I don’t run stuff that takes overnight to process either but I do keep aware of when they big patches are due and try to be proactive about it so either update NOW or actually leave it running expecting a rebooted machine in the morning.
It isn’t my favorite solution but having dealt with the fallout of the previous solutions I don’t really blame them for taking this approach.
I agree with @ficuswhisperer further up, that it’s the execution which leaves a hell of a lot to be desired. I’m glad you aren’t getting problems but all i seem to be reading about are problems and supposedly the microsoft answers forums are overwhelmed with issues. Things like this happening are just entirely unacceptable as far as i’m concerned. The rest of us who don’t use 10 have our own problems to deal with, namely micrsoft breaking windows update and their new policy of bundling all updates together: no picking or choosing anymore!
Like I have said it ain’t my favorite solution and I would like to know his update settings but I totally get why they are doing this. Powering down servers via the power button and pulling the cables in the wee hours isn’t my idea of fun and that was the world we had before when nobody kept their workstations patched.
1 Like
Did you just call MS pricks for updating your car’s OS at a dangerous moment in your imagined scenario? They can’t get a break anywhere these days.
1 Like
I remember installing a little bonus firewall that determined which chains of registry key initialization (Init.d compatibility layers wai!) were allowed to access the network and when. That and killing random persistent MS maintenance threads was a nifty way to help make sure schedules could be kept.
It is impressive to see that someone never let on that there are multiple OS at work in broadcast. I’m imagining that homespun ivytrash fellow from Tuesday’s NPR interview giving tours, and stumping for RED cameras’ assurance that with in-camera editing at $10-11M it will be Your OS.
4 Likes
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
